CHARLOTTE DE SYLLAS: NEPHRITE AND CORAL LEAF BROOCH, 1992

CHARLOTTE DE SYLLAS: NEPHRITE AND CORAL 'LEAF' BROOCH, 1992 The delicately carved Canadian nephrite 'leaf' inlaid with a carved coral stem, mounted in 18 carat gold, maker's mark CdeS, London hallmark, length 3.8cm, wooden box Footnotes: Exhibited: 'Charlotte De Syllas: Sculpted Gemstones', The Goldsmiths' Hall, London, 27th April - 22nd July 2016 Literature: Exhibition catalogue, 'Charlotte De Syllas: Jewellery in Carved Gemstones', 2016, ill. p.56 Please note, this lot will be subject to US Fish and Wildlife inspection if imported into the USA. In 1963, at Hornsey College of Art, Charlotte De Syllas enrolled on a new and innovative jewellery making course, recently established by the pioneering and hugely influential jeweller, Gerda Flӧckinger, CBE (b.1927). One of the first students to graduate, De Syllas' jewellery caught the attention of Graham Hughes, who purchased her entire body of student work for The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths Collection. Hughes served as Art Director of The Goldsmiths' Company between 1951-1981 and actively promoted the work of British avant-garde jewellers. The 'International Exhibition of Modern Jewellery, 1890-1960' held at Goldsmiths' Hall under his leadership in 1961, marked a watershed moment for British jewellery design and the industry at large. Each of the four De Syllas jewels presented in this sale (lots 83 - 86) were exhibited at a major retrospective exhibition of De Syllas' work, held by The Goldsmiths' Company at Goldsmiths' Hall in 2016. The exhibition featured 73 unique pieces, covering her student work from the 1960s to her latest commissions. Prior to this, De Syllas won the first ever Jerwood Prize for Jewellery in 1995 (jointly with Peter Chang). Since graduating in 1966, she has taught and exhibited internationally and her work can be found in the permanent collections of the V&A Museum, the Crafts Council in London and the Alice and Louis Koch Collection at the Swiss National Museum in Zurich. De Syllas designs a jewel around the form of the gemstone she carves, creating sculptural pieces that are tailored specifically to each client – their complexion, hair colour, personality and personal preferences are all considered. Sculpting gemstones requires a great depth of understanding, experience, patience and skill and the art is fraught with many challenges. While the metal settings are secondary to the gemstone itself, De Syllas carefully considers the metal used in order to best enhance and seamlessly support each carving. She employs unconventional methods traditionally used in other fields, such as gunsmithing and dentistry and embraces new technologies, such as digital design drawing and laser welding. Her work is truly exceptional for its technical brilliance and fearless ingenuity. Nearly all of her pieces are private commissions, and this is likely to be the first time her jewellery has ever been presented to a global audience at auction. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: Y Y Subject to CITES regulations when exporting items outside of the EU, see clause 13. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com